Full-Time vs. Freelance

FREELANCE VS. FULL-TIME JOBS - NOT AN EASY DECISION

How do you decide whether to work in Freelancer jobs or Full-Time jobs?

Grass is Greener?

Sometimes, you feel like the grass is greener on the other side.

If you are working on Freelance projects, you wish you had the stability of a day job, or perhaps you yearn for being able to be able to measure yourself through a promotion.

Or vice versa, perhaps you are worn down from going to the same office for multiple years. Or perhaps you've recently seen the super high billing rates that your company's consultant is paying.

Considerations for Each (Pro's & Con's)

Sometimes, the best way to think about something is to think about the positives of a choice, and to see which is more important to the things that matter to your: your happiness, your family, your career

FREELANCER

Positives:

1. Broad Experience in many environments
2. Benefits: More Work Flexibility
3. Higher Pay Per Hour
4. Building More relationshipsYou don't have to deal with the corporate politicing as much
5. Job Flexibility

Cons

1. Less Stability
2. Less direct work progression
3. Less steady mentorship
4. Less reliable benefits
5. Spending more time finding work
6. Overseeing less people (being more of a one-person show, rather than leading a team)

FULL TIME

Pros

1. More In-Depth Experience in one team environmentBenefits: More consistent employer benefits, allowances, team culture events (like Team Retreats)
2. Job and Earnings Security
3. Building Deeper Relationships
4. Easier to show progression on a CV/Resume

Cons

1. Spending more time in office politics
2. Not building client relationship skills as much
3. Not having as much variety from one month to the next
4. Can be less intellectual variety and stimulation
5. Depending on the role, you could be pigeonholed into a small role

How to Decide?

Think about what is most important to you? And at what point are you in your life?

Are you ok with less certainty? Will you gain more happiness by having more variety but less certainty?

Dip You Toe In The Water

Have you tried the other one yet? if not, t hen dip your toe in the water and see what it is like!

If you are a full-time employee, perhaps you can take a bit of time off work (perhaps even a sabbatical?) and try a consulting project for a month or two, and see if you are drawn to this.

If you are a Freelancer for a long time, perhaps take a longer assignment, and invest some time spending more time at the employer office and getting to know the company’s colleagues. Are you getting more meaning and substance from knowing your colleagues and building these relationships? Or are you feeling strangled by the lack of change?

Ask your Friends Who are On the Other Side

If you are a full time-employee, reach out to a couple consultants/freelancers and see what they have to say about it. See if you can subcontract off of them. Ask them how they built up their clientele. 

Have other thoughts on this? Please provide and share!

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